Whatever Love Means was a piece that brought contemporary puppet theater to the big stage. Performed in Helsinki City Theater’s Studio Pasila in 2024 the play got wide critical acclaim and full audiences. The witty stage lecture on love and its impossibility was based on the works of Liv Strömqvist, and the working group Royal Hattara consisted of some of the brightest stars in Finnish puppet theater, circus and other fields.

The story took place in a love consultant office, were six life-sized cupid puppets tried to help a human client to navigate her feelings and expectations of love through smaller scale puppetry with muppet heads and nearly 200 foam rubber cut-out pieces in pastel colors. The play sought to study how the Hollywood cliches of popular culture affect our love life and relationships and push unrealistic expectations on them. The pink and sugar-coated aesthetics heightened the carnevalistic absurdity of it all, and the play was eye candy like never sen before.

Original idea: Merja Pöyhönen, Essi Santala, Riina Tikkanen
Script: Taija Helminen
Director: Merja Pöyhönen
Assistant director: Olavi Ermala
Puppet maker: Helena Markku
Set: Johanna Latvala
Props and foam rubber pieces: Tonja Goldblatt
Light design: Essi Santala
Sound design: Olli-Pekka Jauhiainen ja Petteri Salomaa
Pictures: Majo Kurki
Performers: Petra Heinänen, Henni Kervinen, Sirpa Järvenpää, Helena Markku, Elena Rekola, Miika Suonperä, Riina Tikkanen

Whatever Love Means was supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation, The Uusimaa Regional Fund, Art Promotions Center Finland, Turun teatterisäätiö and Aura of Puppets

Whatever Love Means:
https://hkt.fi/tiedotteet/superloninpehmea-nykynukketeatteriesitys-whatever-love-means-pollyttaa-rakastumisen-stereotypioita/